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Offense: Dak Prescott has lived up to his high preseason expectations through his passing game. His teammates have been OK. Seven fumbles have hurt MSU’s offense and the line has been average. Grade: B

Defense: Under Manny Diaz, the passing yards are down but but so are sacks and turnovers. Teams are also running on the Bulldogs. But the most important aspect is points, which are down. Grade: B -

Most pleasant surprise: Fred Ross, wide receiver. No one is surprised by Ross’ talent, however he’s on-pace to break the school record for receptions in a season. He's become Dak Prescott's favorite target and also returned a punt for a touchdown last week.

Most improved player: A.J. Jefferson, defensive end. Jefferson has more tackles and tackles for loss and as many sacks as Preston Smith did last year. He’s tackled an opponent in the back field seven straight games. He’s also on pace to set a school record for most tackles for loss in a season.

Midseason MVP: Dak Prescott, quarterback. The fifth-year senior leads the team in passing yards, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He also hasn’t thrown an interception yet this season.

What MSU needs to do (or stop doing) to improve: Turnovers. Mississippi State’s win against Troy was the first time the Bulldogs won the turnover battle. Through six games, MSU has created six turnovers while giving away seven. The Bulldogs need more takeaways and less giveaways.

Biggest game left on the schedule that isn’t the Egg Bowl: Alabama, Nov. 14, TBA. Alabama is the next SEC West game for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs will likely be favored in every game leading up to its matchup with the Crimson Tide. A win against Alabama and then Ole Miss would set MSU up for another run at a 10-2 season.

Expectations for second half: Mississippi State’s level of play last year didn’t change much throughout the season. This year, the MSU that plays in the Egg Bowl will be much different from the version that opened the season against Southern Miss. It’s difficult to envision the Bulldogs finishing any worse than 8-4. It’s also not a great stretch to think they could win out.